Top 11 of 2011

Happy 2012!

A little 2011 recap might be in order.  Especially since I haven't posted in such a long time.

But first:

I'd like to share my top 11 photos of 2011 of my kids.  Mostly of my youngest as she lets me play around with her and the camera a lot more than the others do.  Plus the expressions on her face are priceless.

1.  I love this fall sky and her happy smile.

 2.  My rustic beauty!

3.  My daughter that - (shhh...) took this picture of herself - and I for a split second thought it was a picture of me when I was younger.

4.  Trail Breakfast :: Family camp ::  what a cutie.

 
5.  This is what happens when she sticks her face in my camera... I get lucky!

6.  Father and son...

7.  June bug dress!  I love most of the pictures from this "photo shoot" but this one is the bestest.

8.  My middle child reading up on her history.  Lincoln memorial.

9.  Emma

10.  Princess

11.  Her eyes

Well, there you have it.  I would have put about 11 more pictures on here if I could have.

Looking back on these photos reminds me that this past year wasn't all that bad.  I'm so glad that I was able to catch the moments that I did.

This Moment::Growing up

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Linking up here.

The last hurr- (ha ha)

So this is my attempt to be witty.

Yesterday we went on our last "field trip" of the summer.  Our last hurrah, so to speak, and we went to Minnehaha creek.  Get it?  Hurr-haha.  Don't blame me if you hurt yourself laughing.

Anyway.....

Going to the falls was something I've wanted to do since we moved here.  I was a little afraid that I would get some grief from my olders about walking around in nature.  But a few days stuck in the house with nothing to do really changes ones perspective.  They were glad to get out and do something... anything!  And guess what?  They really enjoyed themselves!

Ok, the picture above really made me laugh when I took it.  Do you see there on the right how the middle sister is hanging on the big sister?  She posed like that right at the last minute because she knows that big sis would NEVER let her touch her like that!  Big sister's face is reflecting the shock and horror.  I'm so glad I got to capture this!

So here is the falls.  Amazing that this is next to the airport and really close to downtown.  We climbed down the stairs and ate lunch.  Even though there were a few buses of day care kids (a nightmare for homeschool field trips)  the place was still peaceful.  See a class of them on the top looking over?  They were the yellow t-shirt group.

We walked down the path just a little ways and we reached an area to wade.  We really didn't know what to expect on this trip.  We could not find much information about this park online or even a map when we got there!

This ended our little trip.  It was just long enough to want to come back.  We have some plans for Nana and Grandfather!

And this being our last hurrah, homeschool starts on Monday.

Wish me luck!  (yes, that is my school room.)

Homeschooling

Note:  My husband merged our family blog (that we haven't updated in a year or two) with this blog so there are some updates.  I've wanted to do a post about homeschooling so I thought this would be a good time to get it done.  This post is also a page that you can get to from the menu under the header.  I think this will be the first of many posts on homeschooling so if you have a question about something we use or do or any question about homeschooling leave it in the comments and I'll either answer you directly or do a post about it as soon as I can.  So here it goes...


While I could go on and on about why and how and advantages and disadvantages, I'm just going to tell you WHAT we are doing this year and what I plan on doing next year.

My oldest is going to a classical charter school.  My second oldest is going next year.  Abbey is in 7th grade this year and Emma will be in 6th grade next year when she starts.

The younger three are in our second year of Classical Conversations. (Bethany is in the nursery)  Here is the BEST explanation of it I have ever read.  No use trying to write my own thing. (make sure you go to her side bar which has two more posts about CC in detail)  We love the Foundations program.  It keeps me accountable.

At Classical Conversations on Tuesdays the kids do presentations and art and science experiments and memorize LOTS of wonderful facts about history and science and grammar and geography and Latin and math.

At home during the rest of the week we do:

Math:  We use Saxon.  We are currently using 5/4, 3rd grade, and K

Science:  using My Father's World curriculum (MFW) "Rome to the Reformation".  Right now we are mainly using this amazing book and The Body Book (we are a little behind in the MFW curriculum).

History:  My Father's World .  We are just about to get into the Medieval times.

Latin:  We are using English from the Roots Up.  Amazing connections being made to words we use in every day life.

Bible:  MFW.  Memorizing verses from the book of Romans and learning about the early church in Acts.

Spelling: Spelling Power

Grammar: Rod and Staff

Writing/Composition:  Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) Medieval History

Next year I will have only a 3rd grader and a Kindergartner and a preschooler.

For Bible, History, and Science we will be doing "Adventures in My Father's World."  This is US history.  This will coincide with Classical conversations cycle 3 very nicely (I think).

Math:  Caitlyn will be doing Saxon 5/4.  Ben will be finishing Saxon K and moving onto Saxon 1.

Latin: Song School Latin for the little ones (and Caitlyn too) and Caitlyn will be starting Latin for Children.

Grammar and Spelling:  Same as last year.

Phonics: Abeka K5 for Ben.  I have all the material.  If I didn't I would probably do something different.

Writing/Composition:  All things Fun and Fascinating (IEW)

This Moment :: Remembering...

So this is a little bit of a cheat.  This picture was taken probably 4-5 years ago.  I was being all nostalgic last night as I fell asleep.  How things have changed in just a few short years!  My girls now are becoming teens and tweens.  Emotions run high, fights are common.  All too common.  They used to be so content with just each other.  No TV, no phones, no homework (those are remotes you know!).  They watched Mr. Rogers and dressed up and made lots of things from paper.

As I looked to find this picture I saw SO MANY pictures of the three of them together.  Many more that showed how happy they were together.  I never had a sister.  Don't know how these relationships are supposed to work.  The pictures don't tell the whole story.  I know that about right now.  The big one doesn't want her picture taken most of the time.  I totally understand that.  I don't want my picture taken most of the time.

I'm looking forward to summer when they are all together again.

Joining SouleMama.

This Moment :: Camera Play

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

 

Joining SouleMama.

Blessings :: Ben

This is my guy.

He is a little man of many faces.

He just turned 5 this weekend.
He's growing and learning all too fast now.
The changes I've seen in him the past year are simply amazing.

Learning letters and numbers.  All his Classical Conversations memory work.
This boy even sings now, with words!
He's still shy but if you ask him to talk he will hold a conversation with you - a real one.

Ben is a blessing.  After having three girls the odds of having a boy where stacked against us.  We didn't feel our family was complete but after two miscarriages we weren't sure if God had any more children for us.  By God's grace he gave us another child and the boy we hoped for for many years.  (oh, and then right after that he gave us Bethany but that is another story)

So if you did your math you already know that we have five children.  I love them all so much and my life is a mix of joy and hardship. (boy would I say that I make most of my hardship!)  In all this I want to remember the multitudes of blessings, God's love and grace that He lavishes upon me, and I want that to scream out over all the negative thoughts that can run through my head each day. I'm starting my journey with Ann:



Thanking Him for:

1. my boy
2. a warm house (we are at zero degrees right now!)
3. a giving husband
4. soft yarn to knit
5. a Savior who never sleeps nor slumbers NOR tires of ME!